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"Given the importance of cameras as sensors for autonomous driving, we considered many aspects in our selection process for the Apollo platform including product roadmap, experience in automotive, and technical support for ecosystem platforms", said Mr. Zhenyu Li, VP and General Manager of Intelligent Driving Group at Baidu.
Apollo is an open autonomous driving platform released by Baidu which includes vehicle platform, hardware platform, software platform and cloud services, with the goal to provide an open, complete and reliable hardware, software and service system for automotive and autonomous driving partners.
"Baidu has made tremendous strides in Artificial Intelligence and deep learning", said John Wall, GM of Blackberry's QNX unit.
BlackBerry, which has developed software QNX Hypervisor 2.0 to run complex computer systems in vehicles, said Baidu will use its software for its self-driving open platform, Apollo. Given BlackBerry already works with auto industry heavyweights like Delphi, Qualcomm, and Denso, its contacts could come in very useful as Apollo tries to gain traction in self-driving vehicles. It provides a combination of cloud services, an open software stack, and reference hardware and vehicle platforms.
As the companies note in their press release, Apollo has attracted more than 70 partners worldwide, including equipment manufacturers, top automakers, developer platforms and tech startups. The project was named after the historic lunar landing program to illustrate its scale and complexity.
The partnership also includes integrating BlackBerry's more established in-car entertainment software into Apollo. With BlackBerry's pivot to a software-first company, such deals will only help in its turnaround efforts. The Company trades under the ticker symbols "BB" on the Toronto Stock Exchange and "BB" on the New York Stock Exchange.
Baidu, Inc.is the leading Chinese language Internet search provider. Baidu's ADSs trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "BIDU".
BlackBerry and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of BlackBerry Limited and are registered and/or used in the USA and countries around the world.


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Cognac and brandy brands to watch in 2018
As Cognac and brandy start to rebound amid ongoing turbulence, we predict which brands are set to shake up the sector in the next 12 months.
At the start of this year, it was confirmed that Cognac volume and value exports had rebounded to pre-crisis levels – that is, to sales recorded before the category’s slowdown caused by China’s austerity measures.
According to the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC), volumes increased by 10.2% to 190.2 million bottles and 15.2% in value to €3bn (US$3.5bn) between 1 August 2016 and 31 July 2017. The US retained its position as the largest Cognac market, with 78.7m bottles shipped to the country in the 12month period.
A “revived interest” in Cognac from Russia and the Baltics, where shipments increased by a massive 73.2%, spearheaded Europe’s return to growth. The previously beleaguered Chinese market steered growth of the Far East, which saw an overall volume increase of 10.6% and value increase of 19.4%. “Russia has made a good comeback after a few quiet years now that both its political and economic situations are more stable,” says Pierre Naud, of France’s Naud family of master distillers. “There is also a clear revival in some of the more traditional markets such as Germany.”
He continues: “We must admit that the Cognac category is doing well, mainly driven by the big players. Seeing consumers and mixologists seek high-level quality products, crafted with tradition and savoir-faire, we easily believe in the pursuit of success for Cognac.”
Courvoisier, meanwhile, has spied a growing opportunity in the travel retail market to recruit Scotch drinkers. “In travel retail, we have seen single malts become increasingly popular, and Courvoisier is determined to innovate in the same way by championing the category and telling a different story beyond its core range, while demonstrating its rich heritage and expertise,” says Fernando De Vicente Meiras, senior global travel retail marketing manager at brand owner Beam Suntory.
The brand is attempting to spice up the category by moving into secondary-cask finishing. The launch of Courvoisier Sherry Cask Finish this year marked the first time a major Cognac house had released a cask-finished expression.
Innovation at the younger end of the category also ramped up, but it was the XO expressions that experienced the greatest sales gains in 2016/17, with volumes up by 24.2% thanks to the recovery in the Far East. Volumes for VS and VSOP increased by 9.6% and 7.4% respectively.
Looking forward, the Cognac industry is aiming to “reinforce” its image as a “product with a guaranteed origin and authenticity” by launching a new appellation identity. The new identity is rolling out across all communication for the BNIC. Brandy, meanwhile, is flexing some innovation muscle with cask finishing. But along with the Italian spirits renaissance, there is one sub-category that is particularly trendy at the moment: grappa. Sandro Bottega, of the eponymous wine and grappa producer in Veneto, commented earlier this year: “Today’s grappa is a genuine product, softer and less alcoholic than in the past.”
Click through the following pages to see which Cognac and brandy brands we believe are ones to watch in the year ahead.
In September, Beam Suntory-owned Courvoisier celebrated the “magic of maturing” with the launch of the first expression in its range of cask-finished Cognacs. As Courvoisier continues to invest in an experimental wood programme, more innovations could debut in 2018.
As a private company, LVMH keeps sales figures pretty close to its chest. However, when announcing the opening of a €100m (US$118m) bottling and logistics plant for Hennessy Cognac, the group revealed that its flagship brand is on track to record sales of 8m cases in 2018. A continued sales push will target this milestone.
In 2017, Pernod Ricard completed the sale of its Domecq portfolio of brandies to producer Bodegas Las Copas, a 50/50 joint-venture held by Grupo Emperador Spain and González Byass. Is the brand poised for a renewed push in 2018?

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- Published: February 26, 2013
- Written by Chris Meehan
Following on a tradition of promotions, Honda has perhaps taken the greenest route yet by establishing a $65 million fund with SolarCity to help owners of Hondas and Acuras go solar easier. The promotion is sort of a turn about from when homes used to have promotions that included new vehicles. With this promotion a new vehicle adds to the home.
As a vehicle producer, Honda has made headway in making vehicles more efficient and has introduced both hybrid plug-in electric vehicles and EVs, this just kind of is an offer greener than a car or truck can offer, but might move people in the right direction in terms of using cleaner energy. “Both Honda and SolarCity believe people will take action if you give them the opportunity. What we need are solutions that are ready for consumers,” said Steven Center, vice president of Honda’s Environmental Business Development Office.
“We all have responsibility to address climate change. But I think more importantly We’ve got to create an environment that can stimulate that new type of thinking,” said SolarCity Chief Revenue Officer Toby Corey. By working with Honda to promote solar as a cheaper option than grid-supplied electricity without a big—if any—up front cost, the companies are likely helping to foster such an environment.
The partnership is aimed at addressing climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the home, business, and from transportation energy use, according to SolarCity. SolarCity said that Honda and Acura has potentially millions of customers across the solar third-party ownership company’s 14-state service area. The service area includes: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington.
Dealerships in SolarCity’s regions may also install solar at their locations through the partnership. Through the offering, thousands of interested homeowners could go solar. Customers can choose to pre-pay for their solar electricity or pay a monthly payment lower than the cost of their current utility bill, with insurance, repairs and monitoring service included, SolarCity said.
Beyond the residential PV partnership, the companies may look into integrating PVs and EVs wherein a Fit EV or Accord Plug-In Hybrid owner could charge their vehicles with their PV array. Such a product or project would be ideal for a zero-energy home or community, for instance. Some new homes have been built with such chargers or wired for them and/or solar arrays in the past, but they’ve been done largely because the builder has chosen to build them with the option, and SolarCity has offered EV chargers alongside its PV arrays for consumers as well.
Honda and Acura customers interested in these new clean energy options can find more information at www.hondasolarcity.com.


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The Premier Handball League (PHL) announced on Monday that Rajasthan Wolverines will be the third team in the inaugural edition of the highly anticipated franchise-based league. The Rajasthan-based franchise, also known as Rajasthan Wolverines, which was bagged by Shatvik Corporation, will be among the six participating teams. “We are delighted to welcome Wolverine Sports Private Limited; the sports arm of Shatvik Corporation as the Rajasthan franchise of the Premier Handball League and the team is called Rajasthan Wolverines. Rajasthan as a state has a culture of warm handball and was also instrumental in the beginnings of many sports leagues,” said Manu Agrawal, CEO of Bluesport Entertainment Pvt. Ltd in a statement.
“As a state, Rajasthan has a strong attitude towards sports and fitness and thus becomes an important state to join the Premier Handball League.
“As a league, we are delighted that new, deeply rooted business houses such as Shatvik Corporation are entering the Indian sports world through us and we are sure that with the inclusion of such wonderful partners, not only the handball but the world of sports in India will grow and prosper in the times to come,” he added.
According to an official statement, Shatvik Corporation is led by successful entrepreneur and avid golfer Yash Dave, who is one of the popular names on the state golf circuit. Dave is now keen to instill a strong interest in handball among the younger generation through this league.
“Handball has been one of the most watched sports in Europe and has all the potential to generate similar responses in India as well. I think the rise of new-age sports and the increased appetite for Olympic sports among sports fans would bode well for Indian youth to embrace handball more widely,” said Yash Dave, Managing Director of Wolverine Sports Pvt. Ltd.
“While Khelo India has revolutionized grassroots sports, companies like ours that align with the fastest-paced Olympic sport, handball, will give a big boost to handball in India and Indian handball globally.
“We at Shatvik Corporaion are delighted to win the Rajasthan Premier Handball League franchise titled Rajasthan Wolverines and believe that with the start of PHL, India will see a handball revolution in the times to come,” a- he added.
The first season of PHL, which is expected to take place next year, will bring an exciting and brand new experience to the audience and will also provide Indian players with the opportunity to rub shoulders with the best international players from around the world and build their skills.
Topics discussed in this article


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Saying that, "We have to find the sweet-spot in the middle of affordability and quality", Zuckerberg announced the all-new standalone headset, Oculus Go. However, commercially, the Rift was a massive flop, with Oculus only managing to ship 250,000 units in 2016. You don't need to plug the headset into a computer like the Rift, nor do you have to dock a phone like the Gear VR. The headset will be higher quality than the cheaper Samsung Gear VR, which is created to work with a smartphone.
The new device, called Oculus Go, will cost $199 when it hits the market next year.
As expected, Oculus Go is a self-contained headset that doesn't require a physical connection to a smartphone or PC. That's essential for blur-free VR. Oculus has not managed to integrate the tracking is positional, which allows you to track player movement in a room.
Price comparison: Sony's PlayStation VR costs $349.99 for the headset alone and, unlike the Go, the PS VR needs more parts to work. As of today, though, that's now the permanent price in the US. This price cut is now in immediate effect. It's also getting a price drop because Facebook wants to continue to move into VR, and they can't do that unless the Oculus Rift is on the heads - or at least available - to one massive number of users across the planet.
Barra says the display has a higher Pixel fill factor than an OLED display, meaning you'll get less of the screen door event where users gaps are visible between lines of pixels.
The new version will enable you to customise nearly every part of your interactive startup screen, including furnishings, art, backgrounds and more (a sci-fi themed version was shown off at the show, complete with a space-set background and more). You can even mount your achievements on the wall, and you'll launch games by dropping old-school cartridges into a Sega Genesis look-alike. Also below, is a newly released video further highlighting Audi's use of Oculus for Business by allowing customers to customize and get a better feel of "their dream vehicle".
It's meant to be used for watching movies or concerts, playing games, or just hanging out with friends in VR.


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There’s a common narrative among western marketers that China has a more than relaxed attitude to data privacy, data usage and data compliance.
Vague tales of companies trading databases, covert government surveillance and misuse of personal data have been a common discourse in Medialand over the last decade, with western marketers relying on through-the-grape-vine anecdotes to form an opinion on a media landscape that is admittedly alien to our own.
This week we've had some concrete insight into data privacy in China, with western news outlets reporting the country’s seemingly direct challenge to Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy.
Evolving data regulation and attitudes to data in China
Since China released the first draft of their GDPR-style data protection policy, Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), back in October there’s been a general assumption that the country is trying to align with the rest of the world with data regulation and compliance.
In addition to PDPL, in January of this year a government-backed consumer watchdog report by the China Consumers Association (CCA) criticised the country’s tech giants for violating consumer tech rights, including conducting algorithmic pricing discrimination where consumers are shown differing prices for products and services based on the data known about them as individuals.
This public move by the government to support data regulation can be attributed to a rise in consumer expectation in China around data privacy. Although many Chinese consumers are resigned to the fact their data isn’t protected and never will be, there are stories of consumers now refusing to use everyday services because they are expected to trade vast amounts of data for something as simple as buying a cinema ticket.
So where does Apple come in?
Chinese tech firms navigating around ATT
This week it’s been reported that some of the country’s biggest tech giants, ByteDance (Tik Tok) and Tencent, are testing workarounds to Apple’s ATT policy - ATT has been pitched as a way to give users more control over how their data is tracked and used for advertising purposes by prompting users to grant tracking by approving tracking via their IDFA.
The new workaround is called CAID and has been created by the state-backed China Advertising Association to act as a substitute for IDFA, essentially giving Chinese apps a new way of tracking users which goes against Apple’s main reason for introducing the policy in the first place.
This very direct and public challenge to ATT shows what’s at stake for Chinese tech firms and, in turn, the Chinese government when individual-based tracking is removed from their armoury. It also brings into question the country's commitment to improving data privacy that has been seemingly moving in the right direction over the last year or so.
At the time of writing this article Apple haven’t commented on the use of CAID and its ability to circumnavigate ATT, but it represents a significant challenge to Apple and their policy. Apple have previously said that there will be no exceptions to IDFA alternatives and they will ban any apps that attempt to do so.
Can Apple afford to ban all Chinese apps from the app store?
It’s one thing going up against Facebook and Google in the data privacy war, but it’s another going up against one of the world’s most powerful governments.
Watch this space…


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An image of what is said to be the map for Red Dead Redemption 2‘s game world has appeared online. Initially, the image was posted on NeoGAF by user Mideon, who later removed it, but not before it was saved and reposted.
Techradar claims “a source close to the development of the new Red Dead game has confirmed to us the map is indeed the real deal.” According to the site the image (below) is “a very recent art direction map.”The game, which has not yet been announced by Red Dead Redemption developer Rockstar, is reportedly a prequel. The absence of a railroad, which was prominently featured in Redemption, is further evidence of this, the site says. However, it’s worth noting that map has “railroad” in its key.
Another interesting area featured in the map is New Bordeaux. This is the area where Mafia 3, distributed by Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, is set. It takes place in 1968.


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Consumer credit provider Cashe has forayed into wealth management with the acquisition of Gurgaon-based investment platform Sqrrl Fintech in an all-cash deal. The deal is subject to regulatory approvals. Cashe had received Rs 140-crore equity funding in January from its Singapore-based holding company TSLC Pte Ltd. At that time it had said it plans to enter the wealth management space.
“A big part of our plan is to broaden our offerings to cover investment and insurance products. Our last fundraise was for this expansion as well,” said V Raman Kumar, founder and chairman of Cashe.
As a part of the deal, Sqrrl’s 10-member team will join Cashe, while its founders will join the senior leadership of the digital lender.
With the acquisition, Cashe will provide mutual funds, fixed deposits and other investment options to its customers. Sqrrl will retain its identity and operate as an independent platform.
Cashe, founded in 2016, provides digital lending products, including personal loans, a credit line and buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services to customers. It claims it has 20 million customers and that it disburses Rs 200-220 crore in loans every month.


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Displaying items by tag: Varnum LLP
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s guidance for companies that got Paycheck Protection Program loans and are now selling aims to keep deals flowing as borrowers await decisions on whether they’ll have debt forgiven.
MiBiz growth report for August 2, 2020.
When a California-based marketing firm consolidated 450 employees from Grand Rapids-area offices into a vacant commercial building three years ago, the move was celebrated by Wyoming city leaders and supported by a $550,000 state business development grant.
Overly aggressive expansions, lease disputes and sagging interest in craft beer-based casual restaurants were contributing factors to BarFly Ventures LLC’s bankruptcy filing this month before business was decimated by COVID-19, court records show.
Changes by the Federal Reserve Board should draw greater interest to the new $600 billion Main Street Lending Program for small and mid-sized businesses hurt financially by the COVID-19 pandemic.
GRAND RAPIDS — A property investment company is suing Amazon.com Services LLC after the online retailer allegedly demolished portions of a warehouse property in Grand Rapids and caused about $10 million in damages before backing out of a lease agreement.
The Federal Reserve Bank’s $600 billion Main Street Lending Program promises to offer small and mid-sized businesses hurt financially by the COVID-19 pandemic with another option to access credit and operating capital.
GRAND RAPIDS — Independent Bank Corp. raised $40 million in a debt offering that comes amid the economic downturn and uncertainty from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two prominent players in Michigan’s cannabis and craft brewing industries have launched a new product merging their areas of expertise: beer-flavored edibles.
An executive order issued by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer allowing for the wider use of electronic signatures and online notarization will likely be more widespread in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, says an attorney who helped draft the order.


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It used to be — way back in history, like 2008 — that the biggest barrier to growing solar markets was the cost of the modules. Since then, module costs have come down around 80% — to the point that hardware costs are no longer the largest part of the overall cost of a solar system.
A fresh edition of GTM Research`s five-year report on the costs of solar photovoltaics has just been published (PV Technology, Production and Cost: 2012-2016 Outlook). To say that the reduction of costs in the last couple of years is surprising is an understatement.
Last week’s Get Some Sun webinar featured Galen Barbose from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab discussing the results of Tracking the Sun, an assessment of the changing cost of going solar across the U.S. This is the fourth edition of this annual report, and each year we eagerly await its release to see hard


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Woman answers to theft; stolen goods chargesJune 19,2013Woman answers to theft charges
A Rutland woman denied this week that she shoplifted or was found in possession of more than $1,000 worth of stolen goods from stores in Rutland and Manchester.
Rebecca L. Lambert, 32, pleaded innocent in Rutland criminal court Monday to misdemeanor charges of retail theft, possessing stolen property and operating a motor vehicle without a license. She was released after her arraignment on court ordered conditions.
The charges against Lambert stem from two separate incidents in late April and May.
She was first arrested and cited to appear in court on April 28 after store security at Walmart in Rutland told police Lambert had been seen stealing $84 worth of beauty products and clothing, according to court records.
On May 17, a Vermont State Police trooper arrested Lambert after a search of her car, found by police pulled off to the side of Route 7 in Wallingford, uncovered $1,005 worth of clothing reported stolen from the Orvis and Orvis Outlet stores in Manchester, police said.
If convicted of all three charges, Lambert faces a maximum penalty of up to 3 1/2 years in jail.
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Think you don’t have a technology business? Think again!
May 1, 2015
Small Business Association of Michigan Vice President Communications Michael Rogers talks with Derek Sommer, CEO of Spud Software in Grand Blanc, about tech trends of which small business owners need to be aware.
Produced and hosted by SBAM’s Vice President Communications Michael Rogers, the show every week presents quick suggestions on saving money, getting more customers and operating more efficiently.
Each program is short, so busy entrepreneurs can get the advice they need in a fast and convenient manner on their PCs or mobile devices. Listen to previous programs by going to sbam.org/resources.
Have suggestions for topics? Contact Michael Rogers at email@example.com.


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Know here what was the condition of the tech world throughout the day. Here we are giving you 5 big news stories of the world of technology, you can read our full news by clicking on the links given below…
This Oppo phone with 44MP selfie camera becomes cheaper, learn new price
The price of Oppo Reno 3 Pro has been reduced once again in India. This time the price of both variants of the phone has been cut. According to the official announcement made by the company, the price of 8GB + 128GB variants of the phone has been reduced by Rs 2,000 and the price of 8GB + 256GB variants has been reduced by Rs 3,000. The special feature of this phone is that it has a dual selfie camera, whose primary camera is 44MP.
Now your android phone will work when earthquake, Google will alert
In the event of an earthquake, people usually check news channels or websites or Twitter. However, now Google is making a new preparation for Android users. Earthquake warning tools are being added by Google for Android smartphone users. It includes Samsung Galaxy series smartphones.
New feature on Twitter, limit will be able to reply to tweet, use this way
Micro-blogging website Twitter has released a new feature. This feature will be very beneficial for those who are worried about the cause of online bullying on Twitter.
Facebook is shutting down its app, it is quite popular in India, know the reason
There are some apps of Facebook which the company launched to use at low internet speed. The Lite app was also introduced for smartphones with low specifications. These include Facebook Lite, which the company is now discontinuing.
Redmi K30 Ultra Launched with 120Hz Display, Learn Price-Features
Xiaomi also launched a new smartphone of the Redmi K30 series, the Redmi K30 Ultra, along with the Mi 10 Ultra at the event in China. Talking about the highlight of this phone, it has a MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ 5G processor, 120Hz AMOLED full screen display and 64MP quad rear camera setup.


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What's new on the App Store: Twitter, Super Sharp, and apps for costume crafting
Each week, the App Store highlights some of the best new and updated apps. This week, we have big updates to Twitter and Medium, Super Sharp, and apps for making a great costume.
Full story from the iMore Blog...
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THE sat nav has been revealed as the gadget most British drivers couldn’t live without.
More than a quarter of the votes cast for the Readers’ Award on autoexpress.co.uk named the GPS system as their must-have in-car gadget.
Auto Express judges gave their top award for Product of the Year to digital radio specialist Pure for its revolutionary Highway 300Di – a new gadget that can add DAB and iPod connectivity to any in-car stereo.
Other winners included Bilt-Hamber which won three awards for cleaning products; TomTom: best smartphone app; Turtle Wax: best wax; Goodyear: best summer tyre; Continental: best winter tyre.
Steve Fowler, Editor-in-Chief of Auto Express, said: “The Auto Express Product Awards is a chance for us to acknowledge the very best products out there.”


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Kentucky’s Governor recently announced Amazon’s new project to build a $1.49 billion Prime Air hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) in Hebron. If this new investment can seems huge, it is also relative as it represents just a little bit more than 1% of the e-commerce giant turnover (ig. Jeff Bezos’ firm earned $107 billions in 2015, 2016 profit is still unknown as for now). The new hub will serve for its fleet of Prime Air planes.
For the record, the Seattle firm launched its very own air fleet, Amazon Prime Air last year. Indeed the e-commerce giant chose to possess its own cargo airplanes, principally dedicated to support orders from US subscribers of the Prime service with fast and free shipping which enables the reception of a parcel within 24 or 48 hours. Amazon’s air fleet consists of 40 Boeing 767-300 leased from Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) and Atlas Air. For now, only 16 of those Prime Air cargo planes are in activity, with more to come over time. The upcoming hub will be designed to welcome minimum the entire fleet, which should be fully operational within 2 years.
Amazon’s Prime Air hub project will reinforces the company’s presence of almost 20 years in Kentucky. The team of already 10,000 full-time employers dispersed within 11 fulfillment centers will welcome 2,700 new colleagues. Senior vice pres. of Amazon’s worldwide operations, Dave Clark, explained that Kentucky is considered somehow ideal location. It is located at the center of the US territory and already possess a considerable shipping and logistics industry.
Constant with its very own way of approaching the world we live in, Amazon is about to embark on this disruptive project and will likely revolutionize once more the relationship it maintains with its customers, becoming even closer to them.
Is Amazon’s project feasible?
Amazon’s Prime Air hub project is ambitious. As everything seems to be planned, one question leave up in the air though: whether Amazon’s partners will be able to deal with the expansion or not. Indeed, Amazon.com Inc. actually works with subsidiaries of ATSG, but their pilots are currently in a labor strife concerning pay & working conditions since last year. Making it quite complicated to assure the company will be able to fulfill its growing obligations towards Amazon.
According to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky director, Amazon plans to send 200 flights a day from its new hub. Thus, in order to comply with Amazon’s growing demand for faster parcels shipment, the delivery company will have to speed up its process. But with 15 planes currently flying for Amazon, 5 more to come, and a team declaring they are understaffed and forced to work on their time off, Amazon might be wondering who is going to operate its planes.
Will the e-commerce giant enter the carrier game?
As time goes on and the giant company expands even further, Amazon’s Prime Air hub development suggests another strategy could be in reflection. In fact, if the Prime Air test is conclusive, it might be willing to encroach competitor businesses like UPS, FedEx or DHL. And it could become one of their direct competition in the furture.
In order to grow in the transportation sector Amazon is not only developing its air infrastructures but it has also started to show interest in other means of transportation, for example sea and land routes. As the Wall Street Journal explained, Amazon has in fact transited about 150 containers from China only between Oct. 2016 and Jan. 2017. Its also keeping an eye on self-driving vehicles for more fuel efficient logistics. Indeed the firm has already filed a patent application in late 2015 and received the approval in Jan. 2017.
Finally, in order to show their customers they haven’t forgotten the long awaited drone delivery service, the e-commerce giant used its Superbowl 2017 ad time to communicate about it:
Table of Contents
— Amazon Echo (@amazonecho) 6 février 2017
With so much transport development, do you think Amazon is going toward the right direction, or is it about to bite off more than it can actually chew?


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Electric mobility in Africa is still in its development stage. Although the sales of electric vehicles (EVs) on the continent have increased in recent years, they have remained the lowest worldwide. For instance, South Africa is the continent’s largest e-mobility market, yet electric vehicles account for 0.05% of the total 12 million automobiles in the country at 1,000 EVs as of 2022. While these electric vehicles offer cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternatives, their path to widespread adoption is faced with controversy and challenges.
The chart shows that the projected stock of electric vehicles (EVs) in sub-Saharan Africa by 2040 is expected to be 13.5 million in the base case and 25 million in the accelerated case. The base case assumes that current trends continue, while the accelerated case assumes that there are significant policy interventions to accelerate the transition to EVs.
As the majority of EVs in sub-Saharan Africa are expected to be two-wheelers, this also makes electric motorcycles hold significant potential in Africa, given the continent’s vast fleet of two-wheeled vehicles due to their affordability, durability, and maneuverability as attractive options for African riders. Now, the ambitious goals of African EV startups are met with doubts due to several factors such as high EV prices, unfriendly government policies, lack of charging infrastructure, high customs duties, and poorly maintained roads create substantial roadblocks for the industry.
A major hurdle for EV adoption in Africa is the reliability and affordability of electricity supply. Inconsistent electricity availability and sky-high prices are clogging the wheels of EV adoption in Africa. African governments need to elevate their game and invest in improving the grid infrastructure to power up the EV revolution. However, such infrastructure development requires substantial investment. According to estimates, an annual funding of $100 million is needed from international governments and aid organizations to scale EV adoption in Africa to 10% of total vehicle sales by 2027.
Africa’s electric vehicle revolution promises a jolly ride towards sustainable transportation. But there’s controversy already in the air. From carbon footprints to charging challenges and the need for international funding, the road ahead may be a bit bumpy. African governments, alongside international support, need to step on the accelerator, address policy barriers, and spark innovation to make this EV adventure a success to set Africa ready for an electrifying future on its roads.


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Superdry, the Japan-inspired casual clothing brand, is to push ahead with launching standalone sports stores after releasing a positive set of year-end results.
The brand’s parent, SuperGroup, this morning announced that its revenue was up 27.4 per cent on the previous year while retail like-for-like sales grew by 12.7 per cent.
Underlying profit before tax was up 18.4 per cent to £87m, meanwhile, and the London-listed business announced a full-year ordinary dividend of 28p per share.
“The group is globally diversified and financially strong and we remain confident in our strategy to further embed Superdry’s position as a global lifestyle brand,” said chief executive Euan Sutherland.
“Investment in infrastructure is underpinning our global growth plans and creating future leverage opportunities, while ongoing product innovation and new social and digital marketing campaigns are introducing new customers to the Superdry brand.”
SuperGroup’s share price was up 5.28 per cent today.
The group has decided to capitalise on its year of success by launching dedicated sports stores, to “showcase the successful Superdry Sports brand and help accelerate the global lifestyle brand strategy”, according to Sutherland.
He added that the sportswear line is now sold in more than 100 countries.
Superdry already has 555 branded stores across the globe, having added 80 more last year.
However, two of SuperGroup’s non-executive directors have announced they will step down following the results.
Steve Sunnocks and Beatrice Lafon, both of whom were appointed last year, will not stand for re-election at September’s annual general meeting as they have since taken on new roles which “could impact their ongoing availability to fully support SuperGroup”, according to the business.
Sunnucks is also non-executive chairman of Helly Hansen, and has held leadership positions at clothing companies including The Gap and New Look.
Lafon was previously chief executive of Claire’s Accessories, and led the sale of TJ Hughes in the UK.


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A "persistent offender" with over 200 convictions on her criminal record has been handed a six-month sentence for shoplifting.
Belfast Crown Court heard that while on remand in Hydebank, Rosaleen Mary Bradley has been baking goods for NHS workers.
Bradley, from Cliftonville Road in Belfast, appeared at Belfast Crown Court via video-link, where she admitted stealing just under £400 worth of items from two chemists in the city.
As well as pleading guilty to the theft charges, the 36-year old also admitted damaging a cosmetics set.
Judge Roseanne McCormick QC outlined the case against Bradley, and said that on September 24 last year, she entered Chemist Connect on Belfast's High Street, where she concealed two makeup sets up her jacket.
She lifted a third cosmetics set, damaged the security seal, then put it back on the shelf.
Bradley left the shop without paying for the two sets which were valued at £59.90, and police were able to identify her from CCTV footage.
This occurred less than a week after Bradley had been released from custody for previous criminality.
On October 25, 2019 Bradley targeted Dundela Pharmacy on the Belmont Road, where she lifted items and was pursued outside by a member of staff.
She handed over a bottle of Chanel perfume valued at £118 and said that was the only thing she had taken. However, when CCTV footage was viewed, it emerged she took three bottles and only handed one back.
The perfume she stole amounted to £303 and she was arrested four days later.
During sentencing, Judge McCormick said she noted Bradley had a gambling addition, a long-standing addiction to drugs and a "lengthy criminal record" consisting of 202 previous convictions.
The judge said: "You are a persistent offender, and whilst the value of items was comparatively modest, such persistent conduct does have a significant impact on shops and other outlets."


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Figures from the CSO show how far household income has fallen due to high inflation in Ireland.
The proportion of disposable income saved by households fell from 20% in the second quarter to 19% in the third quarter, but household savings still remain well above the long-term average.
Prior to Covid, households saved around 10% of their disposable income, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Households have generally decided not to wind down their lockdown savings, but rather to continue to add to wealth.
Investment in dwellings, most of which is by households, grew again this quarter to €3.5bn and is at its highest level since 2008.
Households also paid off €200m in loans rather than take out new ones, and added €2.4bn to their €145bn deposits in banks.
The standard of living, or real total disposable income, for Irish households has now declined for three of the past four quarters since the 24-year high measured in the third quarter of 2021.
Household disposable income fell from €33.1bn in July to €32.9bn in September, or more than €600m from €33.5bn last July.
"Household income declined slightly in real terms (constant prices) in this quarter owing to inflation. Total Disposable Income (TDI) adjusted for inflation and seasonal factors was down 0.8% on the previous quarter," said Peter Culhane, statistician in the national accounts analysis and globalisation division at the CSO.
"This real household TDI peaked in 2021-Q3, when it reached its highest point since the series started in 1999-Q1. Current price income (or nominal income, that is, without taking account of how inflation reduces purchasing power) has been rising steadily as more people are in work and the average wage is going up.
"However, real income has declined in three of the last four quarters as price increases have out-paced incomes."
Taking inflation into account, household income fell 0.8% between July and September despite household earnings rising due to a greater number of people in work. Inflation outpaced employment growth though, reducing real income.
Household consumption grew, only partially due to high inflation, but also due to more goods and services being used.
Employees in public administration, education and health saw €150m added to their compensation in Q3, the largest increase ahead of distribution, transport hotels and restaurants (€75m), professional, administration and support services (€52m) and finance and insurance (€43m).
Conversely, people working in industry, excluding construction, lost around €35m from the previous quarter, one of three sectors to see their wealth decline, along with arts and entertainment and real estate (both -€1m).
(Pic: Getty Images)


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Samsung says it will sink $1.9 billion dollars to increase DRAM memory production in its factories in South Korea. The company will upgrade 14 existing plants in addition to building a 15th factory. Samsung believes DRAM demand will increase by more than 75 percent and hopes to increase DRAM shipments by 30% versus last year.
The increase in demand comes from the ever-increasing amount of memory in typical desktop boxes. Samsung believes that computers will have an average of 1.34 GB of RAM in the fourth quarter of 2007, an almost 33% increase from the early 2007 estimate of 1.03 GB per machine. Microsoft's Vista increased memory requirements will no doubt fuel most of this bloat.


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Gaming fans criticize the plot of ‘Falling Into Your Smile’ for focusing on romance instead of competition.
A new Chinese TV show aimed at gamers seems to have completely missed the mark.
“Falling Into Your Smile,” broadcast by tech giant Tencent and streaming site Youku, has received scathing feedback since premiering on June 23, scoring just 2.9 out of 10 on review site Douban.
It is one of several recent TV shows to focus on esports in the hope of tapping into China’s ever-growing cohort of gamers. According to an industry report published in June, the country is on track to have the world’s biggest gaming community, with a predicted 92 million “core” esports fans, by the end of this year.
The story of “Falling Into Your Smile” is ostensibly about two esports athletes, but viewers lament that the protagonists seem to care more about flirting with each other than about winning matches. Many gamers have also complained the show violates the competitive spirit of esports. Continue to read the full article here
– This article originally appeared on Sixth Tone.


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Could flavored e-cigarette products and cigars be a thing of the past? If a new bi-partisan bill gets passed, both could be. There have many local attacks on flavored tobacco products in recent years, most notably the flavor ban in San Francisco [read more here], and while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has begun to examine the topic of flavored tobacco through one of its Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemakings (ANPRM), this new bill could help expedite the national crackdown on flavored tobacco products.
Introduced by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), the Stopping Appealing Flavors in E-Cigarettes for Kids (SAFE Kids) Act will restrict e-cigarette flavors and outright ban flavored cigars all together. E-cigarette manufacturers will have one year to prove to the FDA that their e-cigarette flavorings help adult quit smoking cigarettes, do not pave a way for youth to use other nicotine and tobacco products and that the flavored product doesn’t present any risk or harm to the person using the flavor. If e-cigarette manufacturers can prove these three things, then they can remain on the market.
Cigar manufacturers will not have any relief, as the bill states that smoking cigars presents “no public health benefit” and thus all flavors would be banned in cigars within a year.
“We have made great progress in convincing kids not to start smoking cigarettes. They know that cigarettes kill and that, nowadays, it’s hard to find someplace where smoking cigarettes is even allowed,” Durbin said in a press release. “But, I am convinced that e-cigarettes represent the ‘re-invention of smoking,’ cooked up by Big Tobacco to hook a new generation. Unfortunately, kids don’t understand that e-cigarettes are highly addictive, harmful to their developing brains, and can lead to a lifetime of tobacco addiction. These products, especially flavors that shamelessly appeal to kids, are doing more harm than good.”


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Google Android Targeted In Malware Scam
Google Android users and the app store were hit with a BadNews Bug yesterday. Security technicians found 32 apps on Google Play that harbored the bug.
A BadNews Bug typically steals a user's cash by racking up charges from sending premium rate text messages. The security firm Lookout uncovered the malware and said it had lain dormant in users' phone for weeks before becoming active. The 32 apps were available through four separate developer accounts on Google Play.
The bug targeted people in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and other countries in eastern Europe. The bug was placed inside recipe generators, wallpaper apps, games and pornographic apps.
Lookout said the bug appeared to look like an "innocent, if somewhat aggressive, advertising network".
The bug became active when it pushed a malicious program called AlphaSMS. This program was labeled as an essential update for either Skype or Russian social network Vkontakte. It then stole credit by sending text messages to premium rate numbers that charge for each text sent.
According to Google Play statistics, the combined affected applications have been downloaded between 2,000,000 - 9,000,000 times.
"It is not clear whether some or all of these apps were launched with the explicit intent of hosting BadNews or whether legitimate developers were duped into installing a malicious advertising network," Lookout wrote in a blog post.
"However, based on our analysis of the backend code behind a number of these purported ad networks there is little doubt that BadNews is a fraudulent monetisation SDK. Further, it is clear that a substantial amount of code in BadNews has previously appeared in other families associated with Eastern European toll fraud."
Google has now suspended those accounts and removed all the affected apps from its online store. NQ Mobile reported earlier this week that mobile malware jumped 163 percent in 2012.
Users should always be wary of such bugs. Lookout advises Google Android users make sure the Android system setting 'Unknown sources' is unchecked to prevent dropped or drive-by-download app installs. They should also download a mobile security app that protects against malware.
A New Mac Malware Could Nastily Take Over Your Computer
The nasty malware is being spread through a targeted phishing campaign which has so far primarily targeted European users. Many of the emails containing the malicious software have baited users into downloading OSX/Dok.
Amazon's Alexa Can Now Talk Like A Real Assistant With Its New Abilities
Alexa now supports Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML), which allows developers to control the tone, timing, and emotion of its voice. With this update, Alexa will whisper, emphasize, and even bleep inappropriate words if the developer chooses.
Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Google Pixel 2: We've Got A Fight On Our Hands
In theory, the yet-to-be-announced Google Pixel 2 has what it takes to challenge the Samsung Galaxy S8.
Google Trips Just Made Vacationing So Much More Relaxing
Vacationing in a foreign country has never been this easy with Google trips. This app doesn't need wifi to work, so you can use it wherever, whenever.
Google Pixel 2 Might Be Released Sooner Than Expected
Rumors last week said that the next Google flagship smartphones won't arrive until late 2017. However, the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL may arrive sooner than expected.
MORE IN ITECHPOST
Limited Edition Apple Watch NikeLab Are Now Available
According to Nike, the Apple Watch NikeLab is a limited edition and designed to be the "ultimate style companion" for runners.
'Tokyo Ghoul' Season 3 Delayed By Its Live-Action Movie? Ken Kenaki Returns With Another Identity?
"Tokyo Ghoul" season 3's release is delayed and there are countless speculations as to why it is being pushed back. Reports claim that the show is to give way to "One Punch Man" and "My Hero Acdemia" but new rumors say that it's lack of materials and storyline as well as its live-action movie are causing the delay.
Overwatch Update: Buggy D.Va Fixed, Game Reaches New Milestone
Well, looks like the fan-favorite D.Va is back in Overwatch. Check out the details here!


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Bangalore: Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD), a leading supplier of microprocessors, announced a limited period ‘Scratch & Win Offer’ for system integrators. The two month promotional campaign gives the system integrators an opportunity to win an assured prize.
On purchase of every Phenom II, Athlon II or 5 AMD Sempron processors from AMD authorized distributors, AMD Premier and Select partners, the system integrator will get a scratch card which will give him one of the assured prizes like Hero Honda Passion Plus bike, AMD powered netbook, graphics card, pen drive or backpack. All scratch cards also qualify for a lucky draw at the end of the promotion where lucky buyers can win a Hyundai i10 car or an Apple iPhone. The offer is valid till June 19, 2010 across the country.
Announcing the offer, Sandip Naik, Head, Channel Sales, AMD India said “System integrators play a critical role in the whole ecosystem by educating and offering value for money solutions to their end customers. AMD offers unmatched platform performance at a competitive price which will enable system integrators to deliver high quality PCs based on AMD processors, chipsets and graphic cards. Through schemes like these, we would like to acknowledge the importance of system integrators in the ecosystem and create excitement.”
Kerala IT News


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14th May 2018 Market Update
Get a snapshot of the day’s most important market events and currency movements sent straight to your inbox every morning. Sign up to our Daily Market Report.
?? GBP – There was a quiet end to the week for all majors, including Sterling as there was a lack of data. Over the weekend the UK had a boost as Norway’s Prime Minister appeared to back the UK adopting a Norway style deal after it has left the European Union. This could help the UK further down the line as negotiations progress. However, this had no direct impact on the exchange rates.
Today there is no data from the UK of note. This week the UK will be in the limelight on Tuesday as average earnings and the inflation report hearings will be announced. Average earnings are expected to drop slightly to 2.7%. Depending on this data and the nature of the report, it could signal if an interest rate rise is likely in the next couple of months.
?? EUR – It was a very quiet end to last week for Europe, however the euro benefitted from weak CPI and Core CPI from the US on Thursday which both came in below market expectations.
Today there is no data from Europe. Flash GDP data for the quarter is released on Tuesday and final CPI for the eurozone is released on Wednesday and is expected to come in at 1.2% – this is most important data from Europe this week. 1.2% is still too low for the ECB to be encouraged to begin a hiking cycle though.
?? USD – Friday afternoon preliminary consumer sentiment came out in line with expectations having minimal market movement. Like Europe and the UK, there is no significant data from the US today. The only thing of relevance is that FOMC Member Mester is due to speak at a Central Banking Series this evening, however this not likely to cause any market movement.
Retail sales is being released on Tuesday, and building permits released on Wednesday. These are the most important bits of data for the US this week.
No key announcements today.
Summary: There is a very quiet start to this week with no particularly relevant data out today. The main highlights this week will be average earnings and the inflation report hearings from the UK on Tuesday. Flash GDP and CPI is released from Europe on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. Retail sales is released from the US on Tuesday and building permits Wednesday. This week will probably be relatively quiet and rates will stay within current ranges.
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XBOX SERIES POSTS
Is it possible to replace the batteries on the dualsense controller?
Is the PS5 a more powerful console than the Xbox Series x?
Will the Xbox Series X have better graphics than the PS5?
This Christmas is set to be quite a confusing one for any parents looking to get their children the latest Xbox. Microsoft is launching two different Xbox consoles this fall and there are some key differences between them. This guide...
The release of the next generation of home gaming consoles is just around the corner. We have a huge amount to be excited about before we even consider the games available. There will be two models of Xbox consoles launching....


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Such is the appetite to truly understand what is changing with video advertising and the technology around it, that it was standing-room only when Xandr, the advertising and analytics division of AT&T, brought experts together to discuss how to navigate the future convergence of digital and TV.
From a breakdown of advertising’s latest jargon, like CTV and OTT, to best practices for how to win at video advertising now and in future, we’ve packaged up expert views into handy short films to guide you through the ever-changing programmatic landscape.
Atop one of London’s tallest buildings, the view should be breathtakingly clear, but on the day of the Xandr Connect event, the city conformed to autumnal type – overcast. Despite the conditions outside, on the 42nd floor of London’s "Cheesegrater", The Leadenhall Building, media experts brought clarity to the eternally vexing question of "what is the future of advertising?"
Connecting the dots
In the second wave of programmatic, it’s not an easy one to answer, as digital techniques and TV 2.0 start to blend together.
With a growing convergence between digital and TV, Xandr has a pipeline of tools to simplify workflows and bring transparency to an area that is being radically reshaped by addressability.
Alive and kicking
While a clear opportunity exists within TV and video, the market has never been more fragmented and complex with consumers using multiple devices across multiple channels to consume content, said Katy Blair, director, account management at Xandr, who moderated the concluding panel of the event.
Confusing terminology doesn’t help, noted Lara Izlan, director advertising data & analytics at ITV, "There’s a slew of new technology that tries to capture the intersection between content, device and delivery mechanisms. There’s more we can do to clarify that."
Rob Bradley, SVP ad sales at CNN, pointed out that advertisers had to get out of a TV mindset and think of video as a way to distribute content to consumers over different devices. "TV is still thought of as this box in the corner of the room but video can contact consumers wherever they are."
There is a misconception that TV is dead, added Vincent Soucaret, principal solutions consultant at Xandr, "We’re just watching it in different ways and there are so many different screens that we are now using."
What digital taught us
In some ways, digital is only now beginning to deliver the promise that it made a decade ago, when programmatic was still "sellotaping stuff together," Bradley said.
"People are now fascinated by this programmatic technology linking up all screens and you’re thinking about the full funnel. It’s a completely different business than when programmatic launched 10 years ago and that true joining up of screens is going to empower brand-led businesses."
For media owners, the rapid adoption curve of smart TVs – from 5% in 2012 to 50% and growing – is forcing them to adapt, said Izlan. "It’s not linear versus digital. We are headed towards a world where all TV and media will be addressable, so we need to start to think now about how we plan, buy, and optimise differently."
The insight loop
Advertisers should think of insight, measurement and outcomes as an iterative process, according to Bradley. Connected TV provides better quality data than ever and the ability to link to geo behaviour, for example, enables ever smarter decisions.
"That insight is incredibly important. We need to be able to go into a room and tell a business something they don’t know about their business. We talk about ‘real business insights to make real business decisions’."
Shift to the long term
While digital has traditionally been about immediate and measurable gains, the new blended approach, mixing in more TV, presents challenges and opportunities. A BRC study showed there is a 45% higher branded recall when a campaign is multi-platform, but one of the biggest challenges for programmatic in breaking into TV is how to measure performance.
"We’re used to short-term ROI and immediate impact on conversions and optimisation," said Izlan. "It will be a challenge to adapt programmatic to a broader range of outcomes and longer horizons. It will be a travesty to force TV into short-term models and lose what makes TV and video great, which is helping brands achieve long-term business value as well as achieving short-term revenue targets. We need to get the balance right."
There is breathing space, according to Soucaret. Europe is running about three to four years behind the US in terms of a unified offering on connected TV, and this will only work if the process is simpler and a brand can spend all of its budget on one platform and target all screens.
"Unification can only happen if it’s simplified. Yes, it’s coming, but it might take a bit longer in Europe," he said.
This transition also presents a challenge in how media is traded. "In the short term we need to figure out how linear and digital are traded in a unified way, but ultimately it’s about how we transition to new models that take advantage of full digitalisation," said Izlan. The multitude of models, whether advertising or subscription based, will keep the media landscape diverse and accessible, she added.
Whatever the future holds, change is in the air. With the continued proliferation of content and evolving viewer consumption habits, players across the advertising ecosystem need to keep scanning the horizon for ways to streamline workflows and bring consumers the best possible experience - no matter how, where or when they are consuming content.


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As you might have guessed from the device’s name, the Samsung Gear 360 is a Samsung product, which means it is specifically designed to play nice with Samsung smartphones. The 360-degree camera comes a
(Reuters) – Alphabet’s Google self-driving car project said on Monday it appointed its first general counsel, as U.S. regulators increase their scrutiny of autonomous vehicles. Google has logged more 1.7
Did you hear the one about the Wyoming girl who stumbled across a dead body while catching Pokémon by a river? Catching cheating boyfriends, stumbling across dead bodies and advertising one’s services
Three new plans will include varying tiers of connections as well as upload and download speeds. Google Fiber knows its "superfast internet" is an important commodity, and one that businesses of all shapes
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As OLED becomes poised to explode into the market, companies like LG Display are no doubt concerned as to what will happen with the future of LCD sales. While the company has regained its position as head
Share your purchased apps and media with five other family members. Late last year, Google took its first step towards letting users share their purchased media with family members. The initial foray a
Hit mobile game Pokemon Go plans to soon implement advertising via “sponsored locations,” tapping into its ability to drive foot traffic to retail stores, reports Financial Times. The best 4K & 5K displays
In 1952, Remington Rand’s UNIVAC computer debuted on CBS to forecast the 1952 election as early results came in. By 8:30, the “electronic brain” was predicting a landslide, with Eisenhower taking 438 votes
Yes, scientists love 'Pokémon Go,' too. It's been less than a week since Nintendo's Pokémon Go first launched, but the new game has already resulted in some serious collateral damage: sunshine and exercise.
The "Pokemon Go" game now sweeping the nation urges its players to venture out into the real world in search of virtual creatures. But for many users, these quests for digital monsters are yielding some
Nintendo and Niantic's game has users searching for virtual Pokémon in their real-life environments. Or, in more technical terms, the combination of physical and virtual worlds into one is called augmented
Have you had trouble remembering to complete a task that you vowed not to forget? I know I have. Who hasn't? Despite our best intentions, we all have had moments where we forgot to do something important.
A digital detox--that is, stopping your use of some or all of your technology--holds real appeal as people become overwhelmed with modern life. Understanding the potential effects of the digital detox


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Every February, top executives of some of the largest, publicly held food & beverage companies “sell” their companies to the nearly 500 financial analysts who attend the Consumer Analyst Group of New York Conference in Boca Raton, Fla Following are highlights from the 12 food company presentations from Feb. 21-24.
General Mills focused on touting its strong financial results centered on its “Accelerate” strategy. Guided by this strategy, General Mills has prioritized resources to drive improved return, centered around decisions on how to create competitive advantages and also what businesses to embrace and what to divest, said Jeff Harmening, chairman and CEO. The company called out its North American Retail and Pet Food business units specifically as drivers of its growth, both now and in the future. General Mills also raised its full-year fiscal 2023 guidance, now forecasting organic net sales growth of approximately 10%.
As it closes in on the finish line of a nearly eight-year company transformation, Conagra Brands offered an update on the milestones it has achieved and insights into what may come next. President/CEO Sean Connolly detailed the overhauls given to its frozen food brands and pointed out positive signs of further growth, including Millennials starting families, the rise in remote work and in-home meals and the improved perceived value of frozen foods among consumers. On the snacking side, Conagra sees accelerating growth opportunities in meat snacks and popcorn, with seeds and sweet treats also having opportunities.
James Quincey, chairman and CEO, shared its belief the company has significant room for growth among consumers who do not currently consume Coca-Cola products around the globe and through categories it anticipates will grow significantly between 2023 and 2026, including energy drinks and alcohol. To capitalize, Coca-Cola will continue to invest in its brands and claims to be raising the bar on both marketing and innovation, leaning on digital experiences and access points for consumers. The company cautioned against inflation and macroeconomic uncertainty as factors that could slow growth, but it also believes it has strong momentum across its operating segments and will continue to invest with an eye to the future.
Miguel Patricio, chairman and CEO, updated attendees on the progress of the final stage of Kraft Heinz’s strategic transformation plan, focused on bringing technology and cutting-edge innovation to the scale at which it operates. The company views U.S. retail as a “must-win,” but expects all three pillars (including global foodservice and emerging international markets) to drive growth. Carlos Abrams-Rivera, Kraft Heinz EVP & president, North America, says the company sees “the opportunity for $2 billion in incremental net sales from innovation in North America Retail from 2023 to 2027,” delivered by brand innovation. The company did note that it expects high single-digit inflation to continue to pressure results this year.
Mondelez spotlighted progress its brands have experienced through its reinvented marketing and sales strategy, leading to growth, increased efficiency, improved productivity and reinvestment into those brands. It has shifted investment to a more focused portfolio of brands at higher levels than in the past, and presenters highlighted three areas driving long-term growth for the company: initiatives in the company’s chocolate, biscuits and baked snacks categories, advancing digital-enabled personalization and customer-focused initiatives, and continuing to pursue mergers and acquisitions in areas of scale and expertise.
McCormick & Co.
Lawrence Kurzius, chairman and CEO, said today’s consumers are interested in flavors that are fresh, convenient and a good value, and that they are more interested in flavor exploration — all areas of focus for McCormick & Co. The company highlighted new packaging for its Everyday Spices and Herbs line, featuring printing on the top of the newly designed lid, which the company claims to seal in flavor and aroma better than previous iterations. In addition, McCormick discussed how it is working to build hot sauce to be the condiment of the next generation, responding to Millennial and Gen Z consumers’ craving for spicy, hot flavors in their eating and drinking occasions.
Since its previous CAGNY presentation in 2019, the Kellogg Co. said it has adopted new strategies to strengthen its brands and focus on occasions-based marketing of products. As it prepared to split into two companies, its snacks category experienced more growth than cereal and frozen in that period, and the strategy has been oriented more toward snacks and top-performing brands. The company believes supply chain and capacity challenges that hampered frozen foods and cereal are in the past and momentum is building in those categories in 2023. Kellogg believes the cereal business will thrive on its own once fully recovered from supply challenges due to a plant fire in 2021 and workers’ strike in 2021-22.
Ramon Laguarta, chairman and CEO, discussed the results from a multiyear portfolio transformation project, focused on consumers making positive choices in its convenient foods and beverages segments. Investments into beverage brands have been centered around zero sugar attributes, and brands such as Gatorade, Mountain Dew and Pepsi have seen positive response, as have the Propel, Lifwatr and Bubly brands. On the convenient foods side, PepsiCo reports initiatives in the works around sodium reduction, fat content and new ingredient bases (such as multigrain, rice and peas, for example). PepsiCo sees grand opportunity to broaden its portfolio in North America by entering new categories and eating occasions, to become part of meals for consumers.
Mark Smucker, chairman and CEO, explained the company’s shift toward Uncrustables, cat food, dog snacks and coffee product lines, and away from the dog food category. The company estimates Uncrustables will grow to $1 billion in sales by fiscal 2026, and that pet brands Meow Mix and Milk-Bone will carry that category to new heights after the divestiture of its dog food business to Post Holdings. Today, the coffee category represents approximately half of Smucker’s net sales, but the company expects Uncrustables to take over as the leading category in net sales for the company in the future — even with expected growth in cold-brew coffee products.
While discussing its recent product innovation successes during its CAGNY presentation, Hostess Brands unveiled a new snack cake product for 2023, named Hostess Kazbars. Kazbars are said to be “candy-bar-inspired,” and feature multiple layers and textures, with cake, crème, chocolate, caramel and crunchy candy layers enrobed in chocolate. Kazbars will be available in two flavors: Chocolate Caramel and Triple Chocolate. Hostess believes consumers seek indulgent snacks but also balance those occasions with “better for you” options throughout the day.
Constellation Brands opened its CAGNY presentation by demonstrating that its move toward higher-end beverage brands was directly in response to consumers’ shift toward premium wine, spirits and beer. The company believes its beer brands to be strong with potential to grow in the U.S. and plans to invest $5-5.5 billion in capital expenditures into the beer business by 2026 in order to support growth. In the wine business, Constellation expects to upgrade its in-person experiences at its wineries, led by a new tasting facility at The Prisoner winery and renovations to the Robert Mondavi winery. Any acquisitions in the near future are expected to be on the smaller side, the company said.
The first thing of note is that Nestle SA’s global sales exceeded $100 billion for the first time in 2022 (based on our conversion of 94.4 billion Swiss francs), cementing its position as the world’s largest food & beverage company. Corporate EVP & CFO Francois-Xavier Roger devoted the company’s presentation to its petcare division, apparently the company’s star, which has grown sales by double digits the past three years and now represents 19% of the company (about US$19 billion). Annual growth of the entire category is estimated at 6-8% through 2025, premiumization continues and it’s a loyal category – “there is very little brand switching,” he said.


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Ebury has raised $83m growth funding from Vitruvian. Ebury targets SME's requiring financial solutions when operating on an international basis. It is the latest success for London's fast growing fintech ecosystem. Juan Lobato and the Ebury team have a strong financial backer who will allow them to expand aggressively.
Ebury, a London-based online business finance startup, on Wednesday bagged a huge $83 million (£54.5 million) of investment. The 6-year-old startup has raised the sum from private equity group Vitruvian Partners, which has backed startups like Just Eat and Farfetch, and existing investors 83North. Ebury has raised over $110 million (£72.2 million) in total since it was founded in 2009. Ebury is one of a number of financial technology, or fintech, businesses that have sprung up across the UK since the 2008 financial crash.


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Now I'm not endorsing black market trade with bitcoin nor am I condoning it, as it is for better or worse a currency with no centralbody to allocate rules. From stablecoins' less-than-stable day to big losses for Bitcoin bulls, it was a wild ride in the cryptocurrency market on Monday. During the past year of COVID-induced market mania, cryptocurrencies whose now-canonical book The Black Swan warned about the dangers of. MtGox plans to refund over 100000 BTC to users affected by the exchange's crash. What does this mean for the crypto market? Read more. Can cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin root out racial economic inequality? leading cryptocurrency as JPMorgan suggested that the bear market. Critics of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have long contended that the Mt. Gox bitcoin exchange, which sparked a vicious bear market. By C Dion-Schwarz 2022 Cited by 54 (fundraising, illegal drug and arms trafficking, remittance and transfer rency market, we find that no current cryptocurrency can address all.
Several illicit activities are related to cryptocurrencies, such as black-market trading deep web canada (Foley et al. 2022), money laundering, and terrorist financing (. During the past year of COVID-induced market mania, cryptocurrencies whose now-canonical book The Black Swan warned about the dangers of. Naira to dollar rates now tracking crypto exchange rates There's also an unauthorized black market, where the rates are largely. The event was refreshed last year as the team at BTC Inc (the parent company of Bitcoin Magazine) relaunched the bitcoin black market domain. Use our free tool to convert BTC to Nigerian Naira & vice versa. The current market price of Bitcoin is updated every 3 minutes and is automatically. Now I'm not endorsing black market trade with bitcoin nor am I condoning it, as it is for better or worse a currency with no central body to allocate rules. Bitcoin meant equity for Black, LGBTQ investors. at the stock market, at the staggering wealth of Silicon Valley, crypto presented the.
Bitcoin exchange on the Silk Road website, a website that served as a sprawling and anonymous black market bazaar where illegal drugs of. During the past year deep sea darknet market of COVID-induced market mania, cryptocurrencies whose now-canonical book The Black Swan warned about the dangers of. Experts have expressed concern around minority investors' exposure to risks in the crypto market. Get the inside scoop on what traders are. By S Foley deep web addresses onion 2022 Cited by 688 Cryptocurrencies are among the largest unregulated markets in the world. We find that approximately one-quarter of bitcoin users are. To give you a clearer picture of the proportions, sources estimate that black market deals by means of cryptocurrency could go as high as bitcoin black market. By 2022, millions of dollars' worth of Bitcoins were being swapped for illegal drugs and stolen identity data on Silk Road. Like a black market version of. Among those in the increasingly diverse crypto-investing Parallel with growth in the digital asset market, Commissioner Johnson said.
Crypto market wrap: Coins follow the leader, go in the red. Mt. Gox Bitcoin black swan event: BTC price facing 3bn of sell pressure as. By S Foley 2022 Cited by 698 Cryptocurrencies are among the largest unregulated markets in the world. We find that approximately one-quarter of bitcoin users are involved in illegal. Despite this, bitcoin mining has enabled a black market for imports bought with bitcoin. The most bitcoin black market visible example of this is Bitcoin Venezuela. Bitcoin has begun to bitcoin black market pull back after the crypto market hit levels of extreme greed not seen in well over a year. Already, sentiment has turned toward talk. The global cryptocurrency market cap dropped bitcoin black market lower to bitcoin black market Valuations rarely run parallel to growth and global macro trumps. Bitcoin & Black America Jackson, Isaiah on bitcoin black market. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Bitcoin & Black America. Well Bitcoin is pretty much impossible to 'fake'. Every transaction and BTC is visible and verifiable on the various Bitcoin block explorers Blank markets.
In this lesson plan, students read about bitcoin and its part in illegal trading on the internet. Activities cover key words, phrases, and understanding the. By S Foley 2022 Cited by 688 Cryptocurrencies are among the largest unregulated markets in the world. We find that approximately one-quarter of bitcoin users are. Bitcoin has two properties that make it perfect for black market dealing. First, users are anonymous. An item can be sold and purchased without each party. China Declares Cryptocurrency Transactions bitcoin black market Price Falls The move reinforces China's tough stance, the strongest to date from a. Of a so-called 'Crypto Winter', with some analysts warning that it could be years before bitcoin and the broader market fully recovers. Market Size By 2022, financial analysts say, the global blockchain market will grow by bitcoin black market billion US dollars. 29 of all millennial American parents. The analyst compares a previous couple of market corrections and believes that star crypto has made the lows. Mainly due to the fact that.
Darknet Markets Up
It was seen that often individuals would definitely attain labeled in for per chat aided by the authorities as well as in a number of the instances, however, the cops weren't your enthusiastic about pursuing your things your purely. Your Google account Market from the picture, many of the computer you are commenting using your account. Iconic Holding is a crypto asset management firm based in Frankfurt, London and New York. But as a cautionary advice, do check that you have your VPN running before you access any of the Dark Web websites. The Tor Browser is a decentralized network on bitcoin black market the internet that is designed to ensure anonymity online by encrypting internet traffic, which is then routed through several servers before reaching its final destination. But that only works when you’re using a compatible browser and have the right encryption. Agora was unaffected by Operation Onymous, the November 2014 seizure of several darknet websites (most notably Silk Road 2. Before getting to the deep web marketplace links, let’s discuss what these actually are? Login to see, edit, or remove your Community Market listings. The mass m in ounces (oz) is equal to the mass m in kilograms (kg) divided by 0. DNMs have managed to remain profitable all through Covid-19 and stats indicated that whereas the world was locked down, DNM use was flourishing.


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Pitcher Partners Investment Services' wrap up of news and current affairs impacting the markets.
News in Review
Oil prices jumped up last week when OPEC agreed to curb production but commentators were quick to caution that this production curb still faces many hurdles.
The US services sector continued to show strength with the Institute of Supply Management (ISM) reported its Non-Manufacturing Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) rose to 57.2 last month from 54.8 in October. This was the 82nd consecutive month of growth and the highest reading since October 2015.
The JOLTS job opening report revealed that there were 5.543 million job openings in the US during October, marginally lower than the 5.631 million reported in September.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi resigned following the failed referendum; 59.1% of Italians voted against the proposed constitutional changes.
Austria elected a former leader of the Green Party, Alexander Van der Bellen, as their new President.
While ECB President Mario Draghi announced that from 1 April 2017 the ECB will reduce the pace of asset purchases to 60 billion euros per month, he also stressed that this was not the start of tapering and that the extension will run a full nine months. Perhaps more importantly, Draghi stressed that the ECB was committed to increasing the size of QE again and/or extending the programme further if downside risks to the improved macro outlook materialize and if inflation in the Eurozone falls short of the 2% target.
Growth in British retail sales slowed in November after a bumper October as shoppers waited for big discounts around 'Black Friday' at the end of the month. Robust growth in consumer spending has been one of the main factors sustaining Britain's economy since June's vote to leave the European Union.
Australia’s GDP contracted 0.5% in the September quarter of 2016. The unexpectedly poor result is Australia's first quarterly decline since 2011 and the steepest since the GFC, but Australia’s streak of a quarter century without a recession (defined as two consecutive quarters of contraction) remains intact for now.
The RBA left its policy rate at 1.5%, which was widely expected and priced in by the market. The accompanying statement struck a somewhat optimistic tone, suggesting that additional policy easing (which they continue to expect) is unlikely to come before mid- 2017. The RBA acknowledged the likelihood of a weak September GDP number, stating that “In Australia, the economy is continuing its transition following the mining investment boom. Some slowing in the year-ended growth rate is likely, before it picks up again.”
The average price of consumer goods in China rose 2.3% from a year earlier, above the 2.1% pace of October and forecasts for an increase to 2.2%. Reflective of surging commodity prices and previous weakness late last year, producer prices rose 3.3% from a year earlier. Chinese trade data also exceeded expectations in November, with the value of imports and exports both rising over the year.
The US market finished the week at all-time highs, in what was the strongest week since the US Election. The share market rises comes on the back of optimism that companies’ will profit in an environment of lower taxes under Trump’s proposed policies.
Over our side of the world, the Australian economy shrank by 0.5%, in what was the worst three months since 2008. After a result like this, the usual response would include the RBA cutting rates but it seems clear they are reluctant to further cut, encouraging more debt and adding further risk to our economy.
The Week Ahead
US: Federal Open Market Committee Rate Decision (DEC 14), Advance Retail Sales (NOV), Consumer Price Index (YoY) (NOV)
Origin Energy announced that it is planning an initial public offering of its Australian and New Zealand conventional upstream exploration and production operations in an effort to focus its business and accelerate debt reduction.
Mr Trump accused Boeing of trying to rip off taxpayers, claiming the cost to build two Air Force One aeroplanes for the government would blow out to more than $US4 billion ($5.4 billion). Trump pressured the aircraft manufacturer through Twitter.
Ardent Leisure Group reopened its Dreamworld theme park after an extended close down period following the tragic deaths of visitors on the Thunder River Rapids ride.
Markets in Review
S&P ASX 200
SHANGHAI COMPOSITE INDEX
ASX200 Sector Performance for the Week
ASX200 Biggest Movers for the Week
$1 Australian buys you:
This material is intended for the use of the clients of Pitcher Partners Investment Services only. It is current at the date of preparation, but may be subject to change. This document does not constitute financial product advice. It is of a general nature and has been prepared without taking into account any person’s objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on the information you should consider the appropriateness of it having regard to your objectives, financial situation or needs and seek independent advice. You should obtain and consider a Product Disclosure Statement in relation to any financial product before making any decision about acquiring the product. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Pitcher Partners Investment Services Pty Ltd and its representatives will not be liable for any loss or damage incurred by any person directly or indirectly for any use or reliance on this document.


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The shoes we’re all waiting for — the adidas Originals Yeezy Boost 750 in Triple Black — now has an official release date to the public. According to Wood Wood, the shop will hold a raffle for the highly coveted high tops starting on December 14 until December 17. Once the raffle winners are chosen, they will be announced on the following Friday, December 18 and be able to purchase the shoes on December 19, which would imply that is the official release date. While an official stocklist has yet to be announced along with the official details of the shoe, word has it that the 750s will be far less available than its 350 counterparts. Stay tuned for more information as the date draws near.
Got the drop on Hypebeast . . .


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Sprint's Suckiness Its Advantage
PBS.ORG -- According to Cringley, the fact that Sprint PCS sucked so bad they had to build so many more towers than their competitors much closer together is now to their advantage, will allow them to offer a much better WiMax experience, should they choose to do so. (WiMax works best the closer you are to the tower.)
Is Cybersex Cheating
WIRED.COM -- An interesting article on why that's a misguided question to ask and suggestions about what someone might really be asking when they ask that question.
You've Got Computer
MSNBC.COM -- AOL begins offering a computer for $199 (plus monitor) that offers a whole host of programs, just nothing from that Microsoft company.
MSNBC.COM -- I always appreciated how progressive California was and again they've impressed me, putting forth new requirements to reduce greenhouse gasses. Again, the federal government is up in arms. Why? Because California has once again dared to make the right move when the impotence of the federal government has been unable to.
NEWS.COM -- Using plastic (instead of more fragile and costly glass) -- in a fiber-optic type setup -- a company has come up with a way to distribute sunlight throughout buildings. A computerized system monitors the light in the offices and supplements with overhead lighting as needed. Major cost savings suggested.
Help, I've Been Stolen!
NEWS.COM -- A new utility makes it possible for stolen smartphones to start crying out for their owner. Kinda clever.
YAHOO.COM -- Some cool panda photos. (from Lori)
Back to the Moon
MSNBC.COM -- Plans to go back to the moon and the space shuttle's replacement in this article.
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